Vacuum cleaner



July 1, 1941. E ,5 2.247.422.

vacuum CLEANER.

Filed .Qplfil 5, 1940 ,4 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR WALTf/P 56/545 w. EBIBLE VACUUM CLEANER Filed April 5, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 33 INVENTOR. WAL TER 5. 6/54 5.

TTORNEY Ju i W. E. BIBLE VACUUM CLEANER Filed April 5, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR WALTER 5. 5/545.-

ATTORNEY July 1, 1941. w. a 'BIBLE VACUUM CLEANER Filed April 5. 1940 4 Shets-Sheet 4 I in mm lllq 5Y0 if 20 INVENTOR MHz/P Z. 5/5.

ATTORN EY Patented Jul 1, 1941 I v 2,247,412 vacuum CLEANER.

Walter a. Bible, Denver, Colo, assignor to The Battery and Supply Company, Denver, r'

Western Rsssu ED G010 a corporation of Golorado Application April 5, 1940, Serial No. azm'w 14 Claims. (01. 183-35) This invention relates to vacuum cleaners, more particularly to a portable vacuum cleaner of the household type.

The principal object of the invention is to pro-, I

vide a simple, light-weight, and efflcient'vacuum cleaner construction in which the debris from the air will collect in a receiving receptacle which can be easily removed from the cleaner and quickly dumped and replaced; in which the fabric air filter medium will be subjectto but a minimum of dust and dirt so that it will maintain porosity for a greater length of time than present filters; and to provide a cleaner in which the fabric air filter or strainer can be quickly and completely cleaned and rea newed without removing it from the cleaner.

Other objects andadvanltages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efilciency. These will become more apparent from the follo description.

In. the following detailed description of the invention reference is had'to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawings and throughout the description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of the improved vacuum cleaner.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough, taken on the line 2-3, Fig.6.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the cleaner ring illustrating its action when cleaning the fabric wall of the filter chamber. V

Fig. i is an enlarged detail sectional view across the upper extremity of the riser tube.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section'looking downward on the line 5-5, Fig. 2. I

Fig. 6 is a similar section looking downwardon the line t-t, Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation, partially broken away, illustrati the invention as it appears during the filter r cleaning operation.

The improved vacuum: cleaner consists oi a cylindrical housing ill hinged to an enlarged hollow base mo in by means of suitable hinges it. At the side opposite the hinges the housing and base are detachably secured togather by means of a suitable latch it. The bottom of the housing is completely closed, as illustrated, and. suitable rubber feet M or other suitable supports may be attached to the bottom. A dirt receiving pan it rests on the bottom of the base member and is held in its proper place thereon by a retaining flange it.

A bottom plate :1 is secured in the bottom of the housing l0 and extends upward at its middle to forms. circular whirl chamber I iihaving a tangential inlet tube l9 which extends outwardly through the wall of the housing. The top of the housing is closed by means of a top plate in whichis flanged downwardly at its periphery and secured to the upper edge of" the housing by means of suitable attachment screws M. f

The top plate carries a suitable electric motor 22 secured thereon and provided with a carrying ball 58.- A vertical motor shaft 23 extends downward from the motor into the housing, and carries two spaced-apart, blower-type rotors thereonan upper or second stage rotor 2t and a lower or first stage rotor 25, both of which are of the shrouded type with open centers for the intake of air. Between the two rotors is a stationary series of'st/abilizing blades 26 which direct the whirling air which discharges from the first rotor into the intake of the second stage rotor.

pan it.

The secondstage rotor discharges into a defleeting shield ii which directs the air downwardly into the housing around the entire ciroumference thereof. The first stage rotor is en closed in a blower housing 28, the bottom face of which is closed by means of a bottom plate is from which an axial intake sleeve 30 projects downward into the whirl chamber it. 'I'he deflector shield 2h blower housing id, vanes 26, bottom plate iii, and intake sleeve iii are supported from the top plate 20 upon suitable clamp bollts it and separating tubes 32 so that the entire assembly can be removed as a unit.

A circular protecting plate 33 is supported in the bottom of the whirl chamber upon the lower extremity of a supporting rod M. The rod is maintained in an axial position within the sleeve M by means of radial arm members 35. The

, plate it is of less diameter. than the whirl chamher so as to leave an annular passage about its periphery for the'entrapped dirt to pass to the The plate is removable from the rod to allow the latter to be withdrawn upward through the sleeve opening in the top of the whirl chamher. A ringgasket it is secured about the top of the 'pan it to seal the latter to the whirl chamber it.

A fabric filter drum 3? is supported within thehousing between two end rings 38. The latter are so designed as to fit snugly within the through a suitable discharge opening 4|.

housing and to hold the fabric spaced from the housing wall to form an inner filter chamber 39 and an outer discharge chamber 40'. The discharge chamber opens to the atmosphere The inlet tube I9 is flanged as shown at 42 at the point where it passes through the fabric andv the latter is clamped against the flange by means of a flanged nipple fitting 43 designed to receive a standard vacuum cleaner hose coupling 44 of a flexible cleaner hose 45. A sealing flange 46 closes the housing about the fitting 43. The hose may be provided with any of the usual attachments for use on the desired work.

Operation The blower action of the rotors 24 and 25 draws air upwardly through the intake sleeve 30 the dirt pan I5. The incline of the side walls the top plate, it is slidably mounted in a packing nipple 53 which is threaded downward through the top plate. A packing nut is threaded on the bottom of the nipple 53 to form a packing gland in which suitable packing 54 is placed to prevent air leakage about the tube 50 although the latter is freely slidable. The entire cleaner ring can be drawn upward in the filter chamber by simply withdrawing the riser tube 50. That portion of the cleaner ring below the inlet tube I9 is cut away to allow the ring to pass upward by the inlet tube. The extremities of the tube 48 at the cut away portion are closed. 7

To employ the cleaner ring, the cap 52 is removed from the cup fitting 5| and the male extremlty (indicated at 55) of the hose 45 is inserted in" the cup fitting 5i as shown in Fig. 7.

This draws the air from the cleaner ring and draws the fabric wall against, and partially into,

the slot 49 as shown in Fig. 3.

The air now flows in reverse direction through the fabric in the slot at high velocity and quickly assists in forcing the dirt and dustd'ownwardlyto the pan. The sudden drop in velocity on entering the enlarged whirl chamber also causes the suspended particles to fall and this is assisted by the factthat the air is forced first downwardly thence sharply upward into the intake'sleeve 30 causing the remaining suspended particles to deposit. The air about the intake sleeve, being in the center of the whirl, is the cleanestair this air is allowed to flow directly into the sleeve through suitable perforations 41 therein. The remaining deposited foreign material falls to the plate 33 and is swept therefrom by the swirling air currents into the pan L5.

the discharge chamber 40 through the outlet 4|, is in an even more purified condition than the ordinary room atmosphere.

Due to the fact that practically all foreign materials are removed in the whirl chamber and to the .fact that the fabric drum has a relatively large "surface area there is but a minimum of accumulation on the surface of the fabric to create back pressure and interfere with suction.

Even this small amount however can quickly and easily removed without opening the cleaner or removing the. fabric drum.

cleansing filter surface The cleansing of. the filter surface is accomplished through the medium of what will be herein designated as the cleaner ring. The latter comprises an annular tube 48 which extends around the fllter'chamber-39 in-close proximity tothe fabric wall thereof. The outer face of the .tube 48 is provided with a slot 49 extending entirely around the ring.

' motor-operated blower device supported from The ring is supported.

from the lower-extremity of a riser tube-50 which communicates with the hollow interior of the ring.

The riser tube the top plate '20 terminating in a cup fittingil Slextnds upwardly thmugh removes the adhering material therefrom. The riser tube is now drawn upwardly to cause the cleaner ring to travel the full length of the fabric wall and is then forced downward to its former so that a complete and thorough cleaning is had Practically all of the removed dirt is caught in the whirl chamber and collected in the pan l6.

To remove the pan IS the catch I3 is released and the entire upper portion of the cleaner is tilted to oneside on the hinge I 2 thus allowing ready access to the pan l5. The cover plate 33 acts to prevent the air currents of the whirl chamber from disturbing the accumulated dust in the dust pan IS. The whirl chamber is formed with a larger diameter at the bottom than at the top to assist the gravitationof the foreign materials downwardly along the walls thereof and reduce the velocity of air movement adjacent the dust pan. Y I Y While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is de-:

' claimed and desired secured by Letters Patentisr '1. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a hollow base member; a dust pan within said base member; a housing hinged to said base member so as to close .thereover; a'whirl chamber in said housing opening to said dust pan, said whirl chamber having a greater diameter at its bottom than at its top, said bottom being open; means forv introducin air into said whirl chamber at its periphery; a

said housing; an intake sleeve from said blower device extending axially downward into said whirl chamber to evacuate air from the lower mid-porti'on thereof; a rod proi ecting downward from said sleeve; and a cover plate supported by said rod in 'thegbottom of said whirl chamber partially covering said dust pan to prevent air agitation of the dust in the latter.

2. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a. hollow base member; a dust pan'wi-thin said base member; a

' housi hin ed to said base member so as to close which is normally closed by means of a cap 52.

At the point where the tube 50 passes through thereover: awhirl chamber in said housing open- .ing to said dus t pan: means for introducin air positioning said pan in alignment with said whirl chamber; and means for sealing said pan to said chamber.

3. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a hollow bas member; a dust pan within said base member; a'housing hinged to said base member so as to close thereover; a whirl chamber in said housing opening tosaid dust pan; means for introducing air into said whirl chamber at its periphery; a motor-operated blower device supported from said housing; an intakesleeve from said blower device extending axially downward into said whirl chamber to evacuate air fromthe lower mid-portion thereof; and a cylindrical fabric partition wall in said housing between said whirl chamber and the wall of said housing dividing the latter into an annular filter chamber and an annular discharge chamber, said blower device discharging into said filter chamber.

suction nozzle within said filter chamber for cleaning the inner surface of said fabric partition 1 wall; and means for connecting said suction nozzle with the intake of said blower.

7. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing;

a whirl chamber within said housing; means for introducing air tangentially into said whirl cham- 1 her; a blower for'withdrawing air axially from said whirl chamber; a filtering chamber for receiving air from said blower; a porous filtering wall about said filter chamber through which the air discharges; and means for causing the air to reverse its normal direction through said wal chamber to form an annular filter chamber therethrough the porous filter-wall.

4. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a hollow base member; a dust pan within said base member; a housing hinged to said base member so as to close thereover; a whirl chamber in said housing openthereof; a cylindrical fabric partition wall in said I housing between saidwhirl chamber and the wall of said housing dividing the latter into an annular filter chamber and an annular discharge chamber, said blower device discharging into said 'filter chamber; and means operable from the exte'rior of saidhousing' for cleaning said fabric partition wall.

about; said filter chamber being closed at both its ends; a blower for withdrawing air from said whirl chamber and discharging said air into said filter chamber with sufiicient pressure to force it 9. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a whirl chamber; means for introducing dust laden air tangentially into said whirl chamber; a porous filter wall surrounding and spaced from said whirl chamber to form an annular filter chamber thereabout, said filter chamber being closed at both its I ends; a blower for withdrawing air from, said 5. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a hollow base member; a dust: pan within said base member; a housing hinged to said base member so as to close thereover; a whirl chamber in said'housing.

opening to said dust pan; meansfor introducing air into said whirl chamber at its periphery; a

- motor-operated blower device supported from said housing; an intake sleeve from said blower device extending axially downward intov said whirl chamber to evacuate airfrom, the lower mid-portion thereof, said whirl chamber having a larger diameter at its bottom than at its top; and means for sealing said whirl chamber to said dust pan when" said housing is closed over'said base member. 7 v

. inner wall of the filter chamber.'

6, A vacuum cleaner comprising: a hollow base member; a dust pan within said base memher; a housing hinged to said base member so as said whirl chamber to evacuate air from the lower mid-portion thereof; a' cylindrical fabric partition wall in said housing between said whirl chamber and the wall ofsaid housing dividing the latter into an annular filter chamber and an annular discharge chamber, said blower device whirl chamber and discharging said air into said filter chamber with sufficient pressure to force it through the'porous filter wall; a hollow annular cleaner ring encircling said whirl chamber within said filter chamber and contacting said porous filter wall, said'ring having a slot in its peripheral face open to, its hollow interior; a suction tube extending from said cleaner ring through a closed end of said filter chamber and being slidable in the latter; and means for connecting said suction tube with a source of suction to draw air inwardly through said wall into said ring for cleaningsaid wall. I

10. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a whirl' chamber; means for introducing dust laden air I tangentially into said whirl chamber; a motor operated blower axially supported over said whirl chamber; an intake extending-axially from said blower into said whirl chamber; a cylindrical filter drum surrounding, and spaced from both said whirl chamber and said blower to form an annular filter chamber thereabout, said blower discharging intosaid filter chamber; and a closed top and bottom in said filter chamber, the outer wall of the whirl chamber and blower forming the 11. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a whirl chamber;"means for introducing dust laden air tangentially into said whirl chamber; a porous filter wall surrounding and spaced from said whirl chamber to' form an annular filter chamber thereabout; said filter chamber being closed at both its ends; a blower for withdrawing air" from said whirl chamber and discharging said 'air' into said filter chamber with'sufiicient pressure to force it through the porous filter wall; and a cylindrical housing surrounding and spaced from said porous" filter wall to form an annular discharge chamber thereabout.

12. In a vacuum cleaner of the type having a whirl chamber for preliminary air "cleaning, an air filtering chamber having a flexible porous'wall discharging into said filter chamber; a movable '75 for the final air cleaning, and a. blower for dra 4 ing air into said whirl chamber and dischargin same' into said filtering chamber, means for cleaning the inner surface of said porous wall comprising: a cleaning nozzle within said filtering chamber; means operable from the exterior or said chamber for moving said nozzle over said wall; and means for connecting the intake of the said blower to said nozzle so that material will be withdrawn from said wall and discharged into said whirl chamber.

an annular filter chamber and an annular discharge chamber, said blower device discharging 'into said filter chamber.

14. A vacuum cleanencomprising: a housing; a whirl chamber in said housing; a dust receptacle below said whirl chamben means for introducing air into said whirl chamber at its periphery; a, motor-operated blower device; an

- intake sleeve from said blower device extending axially into said whirl chamber to evacuate the air from the mid-portion thereof; a porous partition wall in said housing between said whirl chamber and the wall of said housing dividing the latter into an annular filter chamber and an annular discharge chamber, said blower devicedischarging into said filter chamber; and means operable from the exterior of said filter chamber for cleaning said porous partition wall.

WALTER E. BBLE. 

